Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WE R GOING IN RIGHT DIRECTION
Foster hails crucial turning point while 5% have now got the jab
THE rate at which Covid-19 is spreading in Northern Ireland has fallen sharply since the New Year, it emerged yesterday.
The R number is below 1 and First Minister Arlene Foster said: “We have been able to break the pathways of transmission.”
It was also revealed over 5% of the population has been vaccinated but a further 16 Covid-linked deaths were reported.
ARLENE Foster slammed the “reckless minority” yesterday that continued to break the Covid-19 regulations as it was revealed the latest R number had dropped below one.
The First Minister also revealed a “remarkable” number of the population had now received the coronavirus vaccine here.
It came after a further 16 people died in Northern Ireland with the disease. The total death toll now stands at 1,533.
Another 973 people tested positive for the deadly virus yesterday, while 850 are in hospital, the Department of Health’s latest data dashboard said.
Meanwhile, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne revealed around 40 people a day were receiving Covid-19 penalty notices as house parties persist.
He pledged that his force would knock on the doors of anyone “blatantly” breaking the rules but the vast majority of people were complying with the regulations.
He added: “We won’t turn a blind eye when people break the rules.”
But Arlene Foster said police officers had a role to put a stop to “reckless behaviour”.
At the daily press briefing yesterday which was held in Dungannon, Co Tyrone,
Mrs Foster also criticised the Irish Government for failing to share information on travellers arriving on the island during the pandemic.
The First Minister said she and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill would be again raising it directly with Taoiseach Micheal Martin.
Mrs Foster claimed repeated attempts by the Executive to access data on passenger locator forms filled out by people arriving in the Republic had proved unsuccessful.
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill added: “We’ve made the case on the travel locator forms on many occasions.
“I certainly raised it as recently as yesterday evening with the Taoiseach.
“It’s a very common sense approach that I’m asking for which is the sharing of information, which
is how can we collaboratively work together to ensure that we put people’s interests first and we make sure that we protect lives and livelihoods.”
At yesterday’s Executive meeting, ministers also heard that current lockdown measures appear to be working, with the virus reproduction number for cases in the community having fallen to between 0.7 and 0.9.
The R number had been 1.8 when the current six-week lockdown was introduced after Christmas.
Ministers were also told that 5% of the population – more than 102,000 people – had now received a Covid-19 vaccine, making Northern Ireland one of the most advanced places in the world in terms of rollout.
In 467 out of 483 care homes, residents have received their first dose, while almost three quarters of care homes have had second jabs. Mrs Foster said: “This success, important as it is, does not alter the scale of the challenge that is ahead of us.
“What it does do is it gives us time, time for us to push ahead with our strategy to protect you and your loved ones.”
Ms O’neill added: “We have teams of people working seven
days a week and I want to commend them.”
Her comments came after the Executive agreed new restrictions on international travel into Northern Ireland that will require arriving passengers to produce a negative Covid-19 test undertaken within 72 hours of departure for the region.
Decisions to introduce similar measures have already been taken in the Republic as well as in England and Scotland.
However, neither of the ministers when probed suggested the current set of restrictions could be eased as of February 6.
Mrs Foster said: “We will wait to see what the papers say and take our action from there.
“I don’t have a crystal ball but I am really pleased to say the greater number of people in Northern Ireland are abiding by the advice and we’re seeing the benefit of that.
“We are all now partners in protecting people and preventing a greater loss of life.
“I find it unbelievable that people are still holding house parties when the rest of us are fighting hard to give the rest of us a chance to live.”
I’m pleased most are abiding by the health advice ARLENE FOSTER YESTERDAY